Weight-motor



(No Model.)

B. G. MULLINS.

- WEIGHT, MOTOR.

No. 389,713. Patented Sept. 18, 1888.

WITNESSES- INVENTOR- Bmywnm, Ga/tewoodflfullms 9d )YtburnbOvvxJ, Attorney N. PETERS, PholO-Liihngmphlr. Wnhlnglfln. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN G. MULLINS, OF LANCASTER, KENTUCKY.

WEIGHT-MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,713, dated September 18, 1888.

Application filed March 22, 1888.

same at will for driving machinery or for other purposes. The power to be stored may be the surplus power available during working-hoursfrom Windmills,water-wheels,steamengines,and the like, or it may be mechanical energy from any other source, as wave-power, animal-power, or hand-power.

The invention consists in several novel combinations of mechanical parts, the whole embodied in a peculiar'weight-motor, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 of the drawings is an elevation of said weight-motor. Fig. Zrepresentsapartial longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a top view thereof, and Figs. 4 and 5 are central longitudinal sections of parts of the same on a larger scale. 7

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures. I

Selecting,preferably,a place Where the naturalirregularities'of ground surface willafford a base of substantially the required shape, I construct an inclined way, A, with horizontal or substantially horizontal extensions B B at its respective extremities, and upon the same I mount what mayv be termed weightcars, 0, of sufficient weight and in sufficient number to give the motor the required working capacity. I

The ways A B B preferably comprise a pair of guide-rails like those of a railway or tramway,and the weight-cars C are each provided with flanged wheels,which run upon the rails and reduce friction. Between the guiderails a ratchetrail, r, of sufficient length is laid, and each weight-car is provided with a gravitating pawl, 19, which coacts with said Serial No. 268,152. (No model.)

ratchet-rail at will to prevent the descent or retrogression of the car. When the descent ofa car is to be utilized, its pawl may be held in elevated position bya hook-bar, h, and eyebolt '13, for example, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. Another eyebolt, b, for example, at the front end of each car,provides for connecting the cars, one by one or in trains oftwo or more, with the remainder of the apparatus. Apart from these or like details each car may consist of a box-like structure of wood or iron filled with stones or other heavy material, as illustrated by Fig. 4, or it may be a solid block of stone or the like, provided with wheels,&c., as above described.

. A descending weight-car, 0, upon the inclined wayA is connected bya rope or chain, D, with one of a pair of cross-heads, E E each having within it a series of sheaves, s, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5, and which, together with a rope, F, and pull-resisting posts G, Figs. 1 to 3, constitute ahorizontal block-and-tackle device, which can readily be made of any re quired length, as determined by the length of incline and the number of sheaves. The rope or chain D is connected with one of said eyebolts i b on the car by a coupling-hook, 0, or in like manner, so as to be readily detached. It may be connected with the cross-head E in like manner, as indicated, or in any approved way, and may be directed by one or more grooved pulleys, H I, suitably supported and arranged. In small apparatus one end of the block-and-tackle rope F may take the place of said rope or chain D. The rope Fis attached at one extremity to one of said cross-heads and at its other extremity is attached to a transverse horizontal Windlass, J, which may preferably lie above the fakes of rope, so that they shall sag away from the same. As the rope unwinds from the Windlass J, rotary motion is transmitted from its shaft through a vertical train, K, of motion-multiplying gears and their arbors to a belt-pulley, L, or the like, from which the motion is taken for use in customary manner, with or without conversion, according to the work to be performed. If the speed or power derived from one descending car is not sufficient, two or more may be linked together and used simultaneously. For winding the rope F on the windlass J, a similar train of gearing, K", connects the windlass with bevelgearing M or the like, adapted in customary manner to be ungeared or disconnected at will, through which it receives rotary motion from a windmill or other like source of power for elevating or re-elevating the weight-cars (3 to store power,as aforesaid,and a hand-crank, N, Figs. 2 and 3, or like means, provide for rewinding the rope F and retracting the rope or chain D, preliminary to the attachment of successive weight-cars, which may be already upon the upper level or elevated way-extension 13. While the weightcars are being elevated or rc-elevated their pawls p are lowered to coaet with the ratchetrail 1', as aforesaid.

An ordinary pawl-and-ratchet connection, 0, Fig. 2, between the windlass-shaft and the first wheel of each of the trains of gearing K K may confine the transmission of motion to and from the windlass to the respective effective directions for winding the rope F and for driving the gearing K alternately, and in the form shown the two trains of gearing with their pawls and ratchets and arbors may be duplicates throughout, except, preferably,the uppermost arbors with their appurtenances. Manufacture and repairs are thus greatly facilitated. Asuitable frame, P, which may be very simple, as represented, supports the windlass and gearing.

Details which have not been specified may be of any approved description, and I do not limit my respective claims to any particular mechanical details except as therein expressly stated.

The operation of the apparatus as a whole, as shown,may be stated as follows: Being employed in connection with a steam-engine-for example, for storing up its surplus power, available during working hours,so as to utilize such power when the engine is not runningthe weight-motor is first prepared for receptive work by stretching outits block-and-tackle device so as to fully unwind its rope F from the windlass J. The motor is shown in this condition in Fig. 2. A weight-car, C, on the lower level,B,is then connected by the rope or chain D with the cross-head E, and the connection with the engine-shaft, represented at M, is put in mesh or clutched so as to drive the reducing-train I. The windlass J is now slowly turned by the surplus enginepower in the direction indicated by the arrow a, Fig. 2, and, as the rope F is wound thereon, the weight-car G is drawn up the incline A until it reaches the upper level, B, where it is run back and fastened by its detent-pawl p and the ratchet-rail 1' until it is required for use. The engine-connection Mismeanwhileunmeshedor unc1utched,the block-and tackle deviceis again stretched, another weightcar on the lower level is connected therewith,and so on aslong as the engine is running, unless all the weightcars are sooner elevated. The weight-motor is now prepared to utilize the power storcd,so

to speak, in its elevated weight-cars, by disconnecting the windlass J from the engineshaft and contracting the blockand-tackle device if it be not already contracted. A weight-car, 0,011 the upper level,B,is then connected by the rope or chain D with the crosshead E, and with its detent-pawl p elevated, as shown in Fig. 4, is shoved off said upper level onto the incline A, which it slowly descends. In so descending it stretches the bloclcandtackle dcvice,which,in the example, multiplies its motion sixteen-fold, and the block-and-tackle rope F in unwinding from the windlass J turns thelatter,as indicated by the arrow 1), Fig. 1, which, through the motion-multiplying train of gearing K, drives the pulley L, and this pulley, through adriving-band, transmits the motion to the machinery which is to be operated. If the power derivable from one weight-car is not sufficicnt, two or more are linked together on the upper level, B, and connected as a train to the blockandtackle device. When the weight-car or train reaches the lower level,]3 the block-and-tackle device is disconnected therefrom, and is contracted by means of the hand-crank N, which turns the windlass J independently, so as to wind the rope F thereon and re-elevate the couplinghook c of the rope D. Another weight-car or train is then attached and started, and so on until all the cars are run down or the power is no longer required.

Having thus described my said improvement in weight-motors, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification- 1. The combination, in an apparatus for storing power and utilizing the same, of an inclined way, a weight-car or weight-cars run ning longitudinally upon said way, a windlass, mechanism for transmitting surplus power to said windlass from a steam-engine or the like, and a motion-multiplying device interposed between said cars and said windlass, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

2. The combination, in an apparatus for storing power and utilizing the same, of an inclined way having horizontal or substantially horizontal extensions at its respective ends, two or more weight-cars adapted to run successively upon said way, a windlass mechanism for transmitting surplus power to said windlass from a steam-engine or the like, a block-andtackle device interposed between said cars and said windlass, detachable connections between said block-and-tackle device and said cars, and a hand-crank or the like for turning said windlass independently to contract the block-and-tackle device for attaching successive weight-cars at the upper level, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

3. The combination of the inclined way, the gravitating weight-cars thereon, the connecting rope or chain, the horizontal block-andtackle device, the windlass, and the motionmultiplying train of gearing driven by the IlO Windlass, substantially as hereinbefore spcci- I respectively transmit motiou to and from said Windlass, substantially as hereinbefore speci- 1o 4. .The combination of the horizontal blockfied. and-tackle device with its pull-resisting posts, B G. MULLINS.

5 the Windlass crossing the fakes of the blockand-tackle rope and connected with oneend Witnesses: of said rope, and the two trains of gearing at B.'F. HUDSON, the respective ends of said Windlass, which J. P. SANDIFER. 

